Degree Program Admission Requirements

1. A bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development, Elementary Education, Special Education, or a related field from an accredited institution
2. Official transcripts of all previous work beyond high school documenting an overall GPA of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale)
3. Evidence of satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
4. A personal statement outlining why the applicant seeks admission to the program and describing professional experiences with young children and their families
5. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s personal or professional qualifications
6. Apply online at graduateschool.uncc.edu

Degree Requirements

The M.Ed. in Child and Family Studies: Early Education requires a total of 33 credit hours of coursework.

Admission to Candidacy

Upon successful completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate work, and in no case later than four weeks prior to the beginning of the semester in which he/she expects to complete all requisites for the degree, a student should file for admission to candidacy on a form supplied by the Graduate School.  This application is a check sheet approved by the student’s advisor and Graduate Program Director listing all coursework to be offered for the degree (including transferred credit and courses in progress).

Application for Degree

The Application for Degree/Graduation form is supplied by the Graduate School. Students should apply no later than the announced deadline, which is early in the last semester of their program. Full-time students must have completed 19 hours and be enrolled for at least an additional 10 hours. Part-time students must have completed at least 31 hours.

Assistantships

The Program sometimes has a limited number of graduate assistantships. Students may apply for a graduate assistantship by using the form available online at graduateschool.uncc.edu under “Funding Resources.” Students should return the completed form to the Department of Special Education and Child Development .

Internships

No internship is required.

Clinical Field Experiences

Most courses require students to apply the knowledge learned in classes to community-based settings.

Master’s Project/Thesis

The nature of the project/thesis is developed by the student in consultation with the major professor and presented to the Advisory Committee for approval. The project is usually something that is practical and useful to the student in the professional role that will be assumed upon the completion of the degree. The thesis takes a more research-oriented approach.

Electives

The M.Ed. in Child and Family Studies: Early Education includes 9 elective hours which are determined in consultation with the student’s academic advisor.

Advising

Upon admission, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who helps the student develop his or her program of study and must approve that program of study. Each student must also assemble a graduate committee for consultation and evaluation. Members of the committee include the student’s faculty advisor and at least two other faculty members who represent major areas of concentration in the student’s program.

Licensure

Successful completion leads to the North Carolina Standard Professional 2 (SP2) Professional Educator’s License in Birth-Kindergarten (B-K).

Committees

Students should consult with their academic program advisor in the selection of the committee. The following guidelines are intended to assist the student and his or her academic program advisor in constituting the master’s committee.

1. Chair - selected for content knowledge of the subject area that is selected for the culminating experience. This person should be from the major department. In addition, the chair must hold a graduate faculty appointment in the department.
2. Second and third members - selected for knowledge and expertise in the subject area (can be external to the department).
3. Technical advisor - an optional committee member selected for technical support (e.g., specialized skills in program evaluation, technical writing, assessment, curriculum design, graphics, ethnography, and survey research methodology). This person may be, but need not be, from the department.
4. Additional members - may be added if the committee chair agrees. These members may be from departments of the College other than the student’s department, and may be from other colleges in the University. Additional members may also be from outside the University with the prior written permission of the Dean of the Graduate School. (This whole process should start at the beginning of the semester prior to graduation. However, the student may begin anytime after completing 18 hours.)

Research Opportunities/Experiences

The Child and Family Development faculty provide students with the opportunity to become involved in a variety of research endeavors. Each student will complete a research thesis.

Financial Aid/Financial Assistance

Information is available from the Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR). See tealr.uncc.edu for details. Additional information is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid.uncc.edu.

Program Accreditation/Approval

All teacher education programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The M.Ed. in Child and Family Studies: Early Education has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.